Call to Order
The meeting was called to order by President Chris Spruell shortly after 7:00 pm via Zoom. A quorum was established with five board members present.
Board Members Present
Chris Spruell (President), Allen Broyles (Secretary), Stacee Burton White (Fundraising), Teo Belli (External Affairs), Meshall Shumate (Communications), Alexis von Dickmann (Zoning)
Guests
Eric Dusenbury, Roger Bakeman
Adopt Agenda / Approve Minutes
The agenda was adopted and the minutes from the previous board meeting were approved by unanimous consent.
New Business
1. McLendon Mile Proposal – Eric Dusenbury
Eric proposed forming a committee to solicit proposals for art installations along McLendon Avenue between Little Five Points and the McLendon District. Ideas included painting utility poles, sculptures in bulb-outs, stringing lights, and little libraries. The board discussed ensuring artist diversity through targeted outreach to HBCUs and other organizations, using a rubric to evaluate submissions, and having the committee narrow finalists before presenting options to the community. Teo noted the project could be a strong candidate for Community Improvement Grants (CIG) at the NPU level. The board approved forming the committee with Eric as chair, funded at $500 (see Motions below).
2. Website Overview and Updates – Roger Bakeman
Roger presented a history and structural overview of the CPNO website. The candlerpark.org domain was registered in 2000 and is due for renewal in 2027. The current WordPress site was redesigned in 2017 and is hosted on WP Engine (~2,000 registered users); the Fall Fest subdomain is on Squarespace. MailerLite has about 1,500 subscribers and current membership is approximately 750. Roger walked through the site’s menu structure, post categories, and recent page updates including Mulberry Fields and the Lake Claire Land Trust. Discussion touched on making the join/renew button more prominent on the homepage, the potential for a membership portal, a possible online store for CPNO merchandise, and using AI to assist with website maintenance. These items were tabled for future discussion.
3. Claude Teams for AI Experimentation
Chris reported that Claude Teams subscriptions are available for up to five board members and that he has begun connecting Google Drive, Calendar, and Gmail integrations. He plans to upload bylaws and key documents to build a shared knowledge base.
4. Fall Fest Chair and Treasurer Nominations
Van Jensen and Mike Connolly have volunteered to co-chair Fall Fest. Mike will. This is the 25th anniversary of Candler Park Fall Fest, which may attract additional sponsorships.
Motion: To nominate Van Jensen and Mike Connolly as Fall Fest Co-Chairs and Michelle Bolton as Fall Fest Treasurer. Seconded by Stacee. Approved unanimously.
5. Fall Fest Budget
A proposed budget was circulated. Some costs are expected to increase and sponsorship revenue may rise due to the anniversary. The board will review the budget remotely and vote via email this week.
Officer Updates
Secretary (Allen)
Allen sent the committee report reminder email during the meeting; the deadline is Friday.
Treasurer – Resignation and Transition
Alyssa has submitted her resignation as Treasurer due to personal circumstances. Chris proposed that Michelle Moulton take over the finance committee role.
Motion: To accept Alyssa’s resignation and place Michelle Moulton in the finance committee role. Seconded. Approved unanimously.
Fraud Transparency Discussion
The board discussed ways to foster transparency about the $24,000 fraud incident, emphasizing the board’s fiduciary responsibility. The board agreed to seek a statement from Chase Bank’s third-party investigation findings, who determined that there was no concern with any actions on the part of CPNO. Chris committed to compiling a timeline, locating Chase correspondence, and posting transparency materials to the website. The board also discussed communicating the preventive measures already in place (new Chase account, centralized QuickBooks, elimination of PayPal-to-email payments). Allen suggested including Chase’s statement in meeting notes and briefly reporting on it at an upcoming general meeting.
Communications
Meshall, The communications officer reported that a new photo feature called “Hotshots!” will be added to the Messenger, showcasing community-submitted neighborhood photos each month. The latest Messenger issue was going out that evening or the following morning. Chris’s president’s message this month focuses on volunteerism.
External Affairs / Zoning – 323 Moreland Development
The 200-unit, 7-story mixed-use development at 323 Moreland Avenue, which was previously defeated by the neighborhood/NPU, is returning. The developer has funding and requires no zoning changes due to a previously granted special administrative permit. He is coming before CPNO to request a letter of recommendation from NPU-N for affordable/workforce housing funding. The developer will present at the next general meeting with structured Q&A and public comment. Separately, APS has deemed Bass Field surplus and may sell to a developer.
Summary of Motions
- Fall Fest Leadership: Motion to nominate Dan Jensen and Mike Cumberland as Fall Fest Co-Chairs and Michelle Bolton as Fall Fest Treasurer. Approved unanimously.
- Treasurer Transition: Motion to accept Alyssa’s resignation as Treasurer and appoint Meshall to the finance committee role. Approved unanimously.
- McLendon Mile Committee: Motion to create a committee chaired by Eric Dusenbury, funded at $500, to research art installations along McLendon Avenue. Seconded by Allen. Approved unanimously.
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned. The committee report deadline is Friday.
Minutes prepared by Allen, Secretary